Urban Area Of Kancheepuram District Research Articles

Utilization of online health information by smartphone users of an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu – A cross-sectional study

Utilization of online health information by smartphone users of an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu – A cross-sectional study

Exploring the Pathway towards Depression among Working Married Women – A Qualitative Study Done In Urban Area of Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu

Introduction: Globally, around 264 million people suffer from depression according to World Health Organization (WHO). As per the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), in the year 2015-2016, one in 20 people over the age of 18 years have ever had depression in India amounting to 45 million persons with depression in the year 2015. This study aimed to find out the self-perceived reasons of depression among married working women residing in an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. 
 Methodology: This is a qualitative study done on married working urban women above 18 years of age visiting an UHTC of a private medical college at Anakaputhur. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess whether they have depression. Data was collected by in-depth interviews, and it was recorded and transcribed verbatim.
 Results: Based on the responses obtained from the participants the following themes and subthemes are formed like Workplace factors, Factors related to family, social factors and Mental Health seeking behaviour. Among the workplace factors job satisfaction, long working hours and relationship with peers were common reasons elicited.
 Conclusion: Most of these problems could be overcome only if the society changes their mentality about women and practice gender equality and social justice.

Pattern of Injuries among Dog Bite Victims in an Urban Area of Kancheepuram District, Tamilnadu

Introduction: Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease caused by bite of an infected animal, dogs being the most common reservoir of the virus. India accounts about 59.9 % of rabies death in Asia. The site of bite, depth of the wound and health seeking behavior among the victims play a major role in the prevention and effective management of rabies
 Objectives: To study the pattern of injuries among dog bite victims in an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamilnadu.
 Methodology: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 victims who visited a tertiary care veterinary hospital followed by a dog bite. They were selected by convenient sampling method. Data collected was analyzed statistically using SPSS 25.0 version.
 Result: In this study, the most common site of bite was lower limbs (62.0%). Prevalence of bite by stray dogs was high (56.2 %). Immediate post - exposure prophylaxis with soap and water was practiced by 78.5 %. Around 82.6% knew that it is preventable
 Conclusion: Health education about rabies vaccination and appropriate management measures with intersectoral coordination and community participation needed to achieve the target of zero human death from dog mediated rabies by 2030.

My Therapist Has Paws and a Tail – Impact of Having Pets on the Psychosocial Wellbeing of Pet Owners Residing In an Urban Area of Kancheepuram District Tamil Nadu

Introduction: Pet attachment plays an important role in human’s mental health, well-being, and quality of life. This study examined the human attachment to their pets and their stress reduction because of their pets among urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu.
 Objective: With the above background, the study was done with the aim to assess stress reduction due to pet attachment among pet owners.
 Methodology: Sample size was calculated using the formula 4PQ/l2. Based on the study done by Hart LA et al, 64% of pet owners benefitted psychosocially from pet companionship.13 Keeping this as P in the formula, sample size was calculated with 8% absolute precision and 10% non-response. The required sample size was rounded off to 170. The study was started in January 2021. By purposive sampling method, from the outpatients visiting urban health center attached to a private medical college, those who have pets were included in the study. Study was completed by April 2021 when the required sample size of 170 was reached.
 Results: Among the study participants, most of them were in the age group between 15 to 30 years. Around 50.6% were females and 48.2% were males. About 94.7% were educated and 62.9% were employed. Around 75.9% participants allowed their pets inside the room and around 82.4% of them considered their pet as their family member. Attachment to pets been calculated using Short Attachment to Pet Scale (SAPS) of which 74.1% participants had good attachment to pets. In this study around 80.6% participants felt reduction in self- reported stress being with their pets.
 Conclusion: From this study, 74.1% reported stress reduction on being with pets. Thus, adopting a pet can considerably reduce the stress.

Dietary Habits and Obesity among Adolescent School Children: A Case Control Study in an Urban Area of Kancheepuram District.

Background:Obesity is an important public health problem and is on the rise among adolescents in developed and developing nations. This case-control study was done to assess the dietary risk factors associated with obesity among school children of the adolescent age group.Materials and Methods:This study was done among age-matched 110 cases and 110 controls who were adolescent children between ages 10 and 17 years. Data were collected using a pretested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire and was analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics.Results:About 52.7% of children belonged to the age group 13–15 years. Adequate fruits intake was reported by 42.7% of obese adolescents and 60% of nonobese adolescents. Adequate intake of vegetables was noted in 20.9% of cases and 24.5% of controls. The risk factors which were found to be statistically associated with adolescent obesity were increased fast food intake, sweets consumption, inadequate fruit intake, and the liberty given by the parents in purchasing snacks.Conclusions:Since adolescent obesity is rising at an alarming rate, the dietary determinants of obesity need to be addressed at the level of schools, families, and community. School health services should include education on healthy food habits and regular monitoring of the health status of children. Parents need to be aware on the significance of balanced diet, avoidance of junk foods, and ensure adequate intake of fruits and vegetables for their children to prevent early onset of noncommunicable diseases.

Misconceptions and Myths Regarding Dog Bite In Urban Area of Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu

Background: Dogs are the main source of human rabies, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans. Though dog bite injuries to humans in India have received much attention, there are certain misconceptions.
 Methodology: Cross-sectional study was carried out in urban field practice area of Anakaputhur in Kancheepuram district. By purposive sampling method, 285 outpatients visiting the urban health centre during a period of two months were included as study participants. SPSS version 20 used for entering and analysis of data.
 Result: Among the study participants, 36.4 % participants believed that vaccine is given in the stomach, many of them followed certain food restrictions among which 65.2% participants avoided non – vegetarian after dog bite. Around 25.6% participants believed rabies is caused only by dogs and 17 % participants were not aware that rabies is caused by animals other than dog. Less than half of them only responded that they will complete the course of anti-rabies vaccine, if there are no symptoms.
 Conclusion: According to this study myths and misconception regarding dog bite were found to be highly prevalent. These beliefs and practices are of no use and can be harmful at times.

Awareness of Zoonotic Diseases among Dog Owners in an Urban Area of Kancheepuram District, Tamilnadu

Background: Dogs are the most companion animals of humans and hence they are the direct or indirect source of zoonotic infections. Rabies is an important zoonotic disease in which dogs are the principle reservoir. Only if the dog owners are well informed and aware of the various zoonotic diseases, they will be able to take preventive measures to tackle the same.
 AIM: This study was done with the aim to assess the awareness of zoonotic diseases among dog owners.
 MATERIAL & METHODS: This is a community- based cross sectional study, conducted at Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu with a convenient sample of 150 adults. A semi structured questionnaire was used to collect the data and was analysed using SPSS 20 version.
 RESULTS: Among the study participants, most of the respondents were in the age group between 18 to 40 years. Around 64.7% of the participants were females and 35.3% were males. Among the zoonotic diseases, 94% were aware of rabies. About 92 % were aware that deworming is good for their pet and 92% were aware that vaccines could prevent zoonotic diseases. Around 53.3% had the source of information from family and friends and 60.7% had from veterinary doctors.
 Conclusion: The study found knowledge gaps about zoonotic disease caused due to fleas and ticks. Regular deworming was not done by many dog owners. Veterinarians play an important role in pet owners education regarding zoonotic disease.

Psychosocial Problems among Urban Women in Postpar-tum Period- A Qualitative Study in Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu

Background: Post-Partum Depression (PPD) is one of the overlooked psychosocial problem among postnatal mothers which is rooted on various personal and social experiences faced The study was carried out with the aim to understand the experiences of postnatal mothers suffering from PPD using qualitative methods.
 Methods: A qualitative study was done among 20 postnatal mothers in urban area of Kancheepuram district, suffering from PPD according to Edinburgh Postnatal Depression scale. Semi-structured interviews were used to guide the data collection process which was carried out either in their homes or via telephonic calls using in-depth interviews which were recorded and analysed by using thematic analysis.
 Results: The major themes that were identified were related to Mental Health, Breast feeding, bonding with their child, relationship with partner, family and friends. The major subthemes in mental health were related to body image issues after delivery of the child, paranoia, feeling anxious, exhausted, feeling bad about not being happy about motherhood. Breastfeeding problems experienced were anxiety related to breastfeeding and cluster feeding.
 Conclusion: Awareness about PPD must be created in the community among every household so that people will become sensitised that a term like that is real and will report the same if noticed among their family members.

A Study on Morbidity profile of Residents of an Old Age Home in an Urban Area of Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu

A Study on Morbidity profile of Residents of an Old Age Home in an Urban Area of Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu

Prevalence and determinants of under-nutrition among children aged 5-10 years in an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu

Background: Childhood is a phase of swift growth and development after infancy. One of the foremost public health problems in developing countries like India is extensive prevalence of under nutrition among school children resulting in delayed cognitive development and severe health impairment. Hence early detection helps in prompt prevention and treatment of complications. Aim was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with under-nutrition among children aged 5-10 years in an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu.Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study conducted among 210 children in the age group of 5-10 years residing at Anakaputhur, an urban field practice area of Sree Balaji Medical College and hospital for a duration of 4 months by simple random sampling technique. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was employed to interview the children and their mothers. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 22.Results: Prevalence of underweight among children was found to be 52.4% of which 58.5% of the undernourished children were boys when compared to 47.4% among girls. Underweight was significantly associated with source of drinking water [(p<0.0125), OR=2.0566], episode of diarrhea [(p<0.0054), OR=2.3624] and ARI [(p<0.0000), OR= 8.6417] in the last 3 months, history of passing worms [(p<0.0348), OR=1.8878], meal frequency <3 times/day [(p<0.0000), OR=7.5432].Conclusions: Half of the children (52.4%) in the study had poor nutritional status. To combat under-nutrition good living conditions, education to the mothers, clean water source, good personal hygiene, period deworming and delivery of integrated programs are recommended.

Knowledge regarding rabies among school children in an urban area of Kancheepuram district: a cross sectional study

Background: Out of ten people who die due to rabies, four of them are children. Awareness regarding the disease is important to bring down the rabies mortality among children. This study was planned to assess the knowledge regarding rabies among high school students in an urban area of Kancheepuram district.Methods: This study was a school based cross sectional study done in chrompet, an urban area in Kancheepuram district. All students studying in IX and X standards in a school chosen by simple random sampling method were included in the study. Sample size of 335 was calculated using the formula 4pq/l2 and adjusting for 10% non-response. Data was collected using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 22.0. Knowledge score of >50% was taken as “adequate knowledge”.Results: Out of the total 340 respondents, 189 (55.6%) were girls and 151 (44.4%) were boys. Around 23.5% reported having pets at home. Though 97.6% of children were aware that dog is an important reservoir of rabies, only 46% knew that the disease is caused by a virus. About 25.6% had knowledge about other reservoirs of rabies. About 72% knew about prevention through anti-rabies vaccine but only 31.5% were aware of the vaccine availability in government hospitals. Overall adequate knowledge on rabies was noted in 46.2% of respondents.Conclusions: Children’s understanding on the cause of rabies, prevention and control of rabies was inadequate. Health education activities need to be promoted for the school students to improve their level of awareness on rabies.

Health seeking behaviour among construction workers in Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu: a descriptive study

Background: Construction workers form the second largest working group in the un-organized sector and their life depends on the daily wages they earn. This study was planned to assess the health seeking behaviour of construction workers in an urban area of Kancheepuram District in Tamil Nadu.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done among 302 male construction workers by random sampling from four construction sites using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Data collected was analysed using SPSS Version 21 software and the result presented using descriptive statistics. Institutional ethical committee approval and informed consent were obtained.Results: Among construction workers, nearly 55% belonged to less than 40 years age. Majority were illiterates and more than half of them were working as helpers for masons, painters and centring workers. About 63.9% were smokers, 62.9% consuming alcohol and 57.6% use other form of tobacco. Nearly 69.9% were pre-hypertensive and 15% were hypertensive. About 87.4% had normal BMI, 5.3% were underweight and 7% were overweight. Nearly 78.8% of workers sought medical care and they preferred allopathic system (97.7%) for treatment. 87.4% preferred treatment from private hospitals while 8.8% preferred to get treatment at the construction site itself and remaining goes to government hospitals for treatment. Most workers (95.0%) preferred outpatient’s treatment.Conclusions: Majority of construction workers prefer private allopathic medical facilities for their medical treatment, even though it adds to their out of pocket expenditure. There seems to be a knowledge gap, convenience and financial burden in their health seeking behaviour.

Prevalence of anaemia among females in reproductive age group attending a health center in the urban area of Kancheepuram district: a cross sectional study

Background: Anaemia, which is defined as a low oxygen carrying capacity of blood, is a major public health problem. It is a condition in which there is a decrease in the total number of red blood cells in the blood, either due to decreased production or increased destruction or both. Anaemia, one of the most prevailing nutritional disorders, has a worldwide prevalence of approximately 52%. The burden of anaemia is high especially among females of reproductive age group where India ranks the top. The study is aimed to establish the prevalence of anaemia among female patients of reproductive age group (15-49 years).Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 254 females of reproductive age group, attending Anakaputhur, an urban field practice area of Sree Balaji Medical College. Convenient sampling method was used. Data was collected by discussion using a pretested semi-structured questionnare and haemoglobin estimation was done by venous sampling method.Results: The mean age of the study participants were 34.6±12.4 years with 9.05% uneducated and 8.6% graduate females. 26% gave history of symptoms of anaemia and prevalence of anaemia was reported to be 42.12% with 24.4%, 12.2% and 5.5% of mild, moderate and severe anaemia, respectively.Conclusions: Prevention and its treatment in women is much essential at this point, hence programmes and policies should be implemented based on the needs of the community, and health education should be imparted with respect to measures that can prevent and help in early diagnosis of anaemia.

Knowledge, attitude and practice on oral hygiene among primary school children in an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu

Background: Oral health is fundamental to general health and well-being. To organize community oriented oral health promotion programs, systematic analysis of oral health is mandatory which includes information on oral health knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP). The study was done with the aim to assess the KAP on oral hygiene among primary school children in an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu.Methods: A sample of 250 primary school children in the age group of 8-10 at Anakaputhur, an urban field practice area of Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Kancheepuram district was chosen by multi-stage sampling technique.Data on oral hygiene was collected by using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire by personal interview method. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 22.Results: Among the study participants, 65.6% of children had good knowledge on oral hygiene with only 33.6% of children with positive attitude and 10.8% of children had good practice of oral hygiene. Around 96 % of the children knew that they should brush their teeth twice daily, 92% of the children knew that having sweets/fizzy drinks causes oral health problems and 96% of the children think that maintaining healthy teeth is an individual responsibility.Conclusions: Health education services at school regarding oral hygiene practices targeting the children, teachers and the parents have to be conducted at regular intervals to empower them on the benefits of the same.

Prevalence and determinants of dental caries among primary school children in urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu: a cross sectional study

Background: Dental caries is a preventable multi factorial disease which shows increase in prevalence over last five decades in India. In order to reduce its magnitude and for effective prevention and control, the risk factors and distribution should be well known. This study was planned with the objective of assessing the prevalence and determinants of dental caries among primary school children in an Urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu, India.Methods: This school based cross sectional study was carried out between November 2017 and February 2018 using a sample size of 430 selected from two schools by simple random sampling. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire, which were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 and presented using descriptive and analytical statistics.Results: Among the study participants, 52.9% had dental caries. Plaque accumulation was noted in 46.2%. About 74% were taking junk foods daily. About 47.1% children were rinsing their mouth daily and 34.6% were brushing more than once daily. Factors found to be protective against dental caries were high socio economic class and daily mouth rinsing habit. Odds of getting dental caries was more among children with visible dental plaque, daily junk foods intake, brushing once daily and failing to brush after foods.Conclusions: Dental caries is a high prevalent, preventable disease affecting both young and old aged individuals that can be mitigated by health education activities. Proper oral hygiene can prevent dental caries. Hence more importance should be given for oral hygiene and behavioral changes in dietary habits.

Knowledge, attitude and practices related to prevention of parasitic infestations among school children in an urban area of Kancheepuram district

Background: Poor hygiene practices and inadequate sanitary conditions play an important role in the increased burden of communicable diseases in developing countries. The aim and objectives of the present study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices related to prevention of parasitic infestations among school children in an urban area of Kancheepuram district. Formulation of suitable preventive measures based on the inferences derived from the study.Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on school children belonging to standard sixth to eighth of Sree Lakshmi Ammal school, Chrompet. The study period was from August 1st to 4th 2018. The sample size obtained was 210. Convenient sampling method was used to collect the sample. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect the data regarding knowledge, attitude and practices related to prevention of parasitic infestations among school children. Assessment of personal hygiene was done by scoring system. Data entry was done in Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and data was analysed by SPSS version 22.Results: Total number of children participated in the present study were 210. Among the children participated in the present study, 92.4% of children had a good knowledge of personal hygiene, 96.7% of children had a positive attitude towards personal hygiene and 81.4% of children had a good practice of personal hygiene.Conclusions: Nearly half of the children involved in the study practised open defecation, so they should be given proper health education regarding usage of sanitary latrines.

Epidemiology of alcohol consumption in an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu.

Introduction:In India, the ever increasing production, promotion, distribution, and the easy availability and accessibility of alcohol together with the changing values in the society have resulted in alcohol consumption becoming one of the major public health problems.Aims:The study was undertaken to find out the prevalence of alcohol consumption and its epidemiological determinants in an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu.Methodology:This descriptive cross-sectional study was done among adult males above 18 years of age in Anakaputhur area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. Simple random sampling method was used to select the study participants to reach the required sample size of 400. Pretested structured questionnaire was used as study tool to collect data regarding alcohol consumption practices. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.Results:The prevalence of alcohol consumption among the study participants was found to be 39%. The major determinants of alcohol consumption which were found to be statistically significant were age less than 45 years, those belonging to a nuclear family, those who consume tobacco, consumption of alcohol by family members, those who did not receive advice regarding harmful effects of alcohol from family members, those having stigma of being a nondrinker among friends/peers and those having awareness of health problems caused due to alcohol consumption.Conclusion:This study shows that it is high time we change the approach of educating the public about the effects of alcohol consumption by intensive behavioral change continuum activities at a younger age group, coupled with encouraging refusal skills to overcome peer pressure.

Prevalence of depression among outpatients visiting an urban health center in Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu

Background: Depression an illness that affects both the body and mind and is one of the leading causes of disability, decreased productivity, workplace absenteeism, and high suicide rates. If diagnosed at an earlier stage, the associated morbidities can be prevented, and the prognosis will be good. Objective: The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of depression in an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among outpatients attending Urban Health Training Centre situated in Anakaputhur, an urban area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. All the outpatients >18 years of age attending the Urban Health Training Center during the month of August were including in the study after obtaining informed consent. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect the sociodemographic details and Patient Health Questionnaire -9 questionnaire to assess the prevalence of depression. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results: The prevalence of depression was found to be 33.1%. It was higher in females (38.1%) when compared to males (27.3%). Around 12.3% of the participants suffered from mild depression, followed by moderate (14%), moderately severe (5.7%), and severe depression (1.4%). Nearly 44% of the depressed patients felt somewhat difficult to carry out their everyday activities. Among male participants, depressed persons were more likely to be alcohol and tobacco consumers. Among female participants, depressed persons were more likely to be unemployed. Conclusion: The high prevalence of depression shows that apart from increasing mental health services and integrating this with general health services in our community there is also a dire need to focus on greater Information, Education and Communication activities regarding awareness of causes of the depression and its prevention. This can lead to early diagnosis and management which can improve the overall morbidity due to depression.

Usage and Perceptions of Anabolic-androgenic Steroids among Male Fitness Centre Attendees in Urban Area of Kancheepuram District in Tamil Nadu

Usage and Perceptions of Anabolic-androgenic Steroids among Male Fitness Centre Attendees in Urban Area of Kancheepuram District in Tamil Nadu

Assessment of Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Immunization Status of Under-Five Children in An Urban Area of Kancheepuram District

Assessment of Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Immunization Status of Under-Five Children in An Urban Area of Kancheepuram District